The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 163 Making a Decision

October 1727, 10, Changning (formerly Ningzhou, today Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan)

It was already dark, and in the back house of Ji Qitang, the chief minister of the Beiming cabinet, several young Korean maids were dancing gracefully.

Amidst the sound of silk and bamboo wind music, Ji Qitang squinted his eyes, leaned on the sofa, held the wine glass comfortably, and admired it quietly.

A Japanese maid knelt in front of him, gently beating his waist and legs.

It has already entered autumn in Changning, and the nights are a bit cold. But in Ji Qitang's back house, it was as warm as noon in early summer in June.

In the spacious hall, there are exquisitely designed fireplaces and floor heating, which are already burning before the cold winter arrives, bringing comfortable and warm warmth.

In the furnace outside the hall, the coals were burning red.

In Yunzhou, there is an abundance of coal, and given the dignity of the prime minister, the cost here is not painful.

Without him, I am getting older and a little afraid of the cold.

An attendant squatted outside the hall to observe and add charcoal at any time, so as to maintain the temperature inside at a comfortable range for Ji Qitang.

This is the magnanimity of the Ming Dynasty Prime Minister's family.

Just for this palace, one night's heating, silk and bamboo orchestra, drinking and dining may cost several silver dollars, which is equivalent to half a month's salary for ordinary people.

But the Ji family wouldn't even blink an eyebrow.

Because the Ji family has enough confidence to squander, the generous treatment as the chief minister, the public service money of senior cabinet ministers, the rewards from His Majesty the Emperor during daily festivals, as well as the farms opened in Zhenzhou, Kuye Island and other places, and there are several Dividends from the trading company's shares can bring generous income to the Ji family every year. All expenses here, including the wages for servants and maids in the mansion, should not be unbearable for the prime minister.

"...On July 7, at 18:4 pm, Emperor Taiping of Qi suddenly felt unwell and was rushed to Chang'an Royal Medical College for treatment. After several days of diagnosis and treatment, His Majesty the Emperor has initially recovered. However, in view of the fact that he needs time to recover after the illness , the Daqi royal family and the cabinet government announced that the emperor would undergo a three-month rest period. During the period when His Majesty the Emperor is unable to perform his duties, the prince will be responsible for all domestic affairs and supervise the country on his behalf.…"

"Oh?" Ji Qitang opened his eyes and looked sideways at the maid who was reading the newspaper for him, "Can you give a detailed explanation of Emperor Daqi's condition? Is he recuperating in the palace, or is he continuing his diagnosis and treatment at that... Chang'an Royal Medical College? "

"Back to the Grand Master, the newspaper didn't describe it in detail." The maid lowered her head and read the newspaper carefully, then shook her head and said.

"After three months of rest and not being able to perform his duties, it means that the condition of the Emperor of Qi must be very serious." Ji Qitang murmured: "Maybe the royal family of Qi will There may be changes. ... Well, write it down, and I, the Ming Dynasty's envoy to Chang'an, Jin Yiwei, scholars studying in Qi, and military officers, have tried their best to collect all the information about the prince of Qi, including his personality, habits, hobbies, and His governance philosophy on domestic affairs and his views on foreign policy, especially his views on Qin and the Ming Dynasty."

"Oh, there is one more thing. I ordered Honglu Temple to select some high-quality ginseng and deer antlers, and send a special envoy to accompany the fast ship to Hanzhou and send them immediately to Chang'an to express my Ming Dynasty's condolences to the Emperor of Qi."

Upon hearing this, the maid immediately picked up a pen to write down the matters explained by Ji Qitang, then folded them into strips and placed them next to the desk.

Tomorrow, when the bachelor becomes a cabinet member, he will carry these reminder notes with him so that he can tell the cabinet ministers to handle them.

"Grand Bachelor..." The maid put down her pen and saw that Ji Qitang had no more words to explain. She looked at the piles of newspapers on the desk and wondered whether she should continue reading newspapers.

"Well, continue." Ji Qitang closed his eyes slightly, chose a comfortable position, and continued to sit back.

After a busy day in the court, when I returned to the mansion, my body and mind still couldn't rest.

After the meal, I took a short nap and relaxed a little. Then I called my beautiful maid to read the newspapers collected every day to learn about the major events in the world and the details of the domestic people, so as to provide evidence for the affairs of the Administration.

Through the ages, scholars have dreamed of being a guest, reading at night with red sleeves filled with fragrance, and being able to decide on world affairs in a leisurely manner. This is what celebrities do!

"On August 8, a fierce conflict broke out between the Uszang Kalon (minister and prime minister) of the Qin state. The Kalon Polo Nai (sound nai) from Houzang was killed, and the remaining three Kalons launched an armed conflict in Lhasa City, killing and wounding It was so serious that it plunged the entire snow area into turmoil. After hearing the report, the Qin Army stationed in Xining sent 15 soldiers to Tibet urgently to quell the rebellion.…"

"Oh, there is a civil strife in Uzang." Ji Qitang smiled and said softly: "I don't know how big this mess is, and how much energy it will involve the puppet Qin?... Record it and order Jin Yiwei to investigate the matter in detail. Well, if possible, go check out the black-clad guards of Qi State, they should have detailed information."

When the maid heard this, she put down the newspaper and picked up a pen to record it.

"On June 6, Qi's European expedition fleet once again severely damaged the Royal Navy of the Kingdom of England in the English Channel, destroying and damaging more than 5 British ships, capturing more than large and small merchant ships, and killing and wounding more than British naval officers and soldiers. The Kingdom of England After suffering consecutive defeats, they could no longer fight anymore, so they launched armistice peace talks with Qi through the Netherlands. It is reported that the armistice conditions proposed by both sides are very different, and they are still in fierce disputes."

"On August 8, the fifth batch of Qi's European expedition fleet set off from Guizhou (today's Perth) and headed for Europe, preparing to exert greater military pressure on the Kingdom of England. ..."

The maid who was reading the newspaper glanced at Ji Qitang who was lying on the couch with her peripheral vision, and saw that he didn't show any expression and was still concentrating with her eyes closed. She guessed that she was not very interested in this piece of news, so she continued reading the next one.

Also, Qi has been fighting foreign wars for decades without ever losing. Even if the Kingdom of England is tens of thousands of miles away in Europe, with the strength of Qi's navy, it is not difficult to win.

"...On August 8, Qiu Shuxun, a senior researcher at Chang'an Royal Academy of Sciences, announced that after decades of continuous research and experiments, he successfully invented a highly efficient anesthetic that can effectively eliminate physical pain and provide a convenient way for surgical trauma operations and treatment. , provides the most advantageous tool.…”

"...Qi's Ministry of Foreign Trade announced that after a five-year transition period, the trade monopoly rights of Indian trading companies and Bangladeshi trading companies will be officially canceled starting next year, and the ports, cities, and strongholds of the two trading companies will be transferred overseas. Under the administration of the Colonial Office, many of the coinage, judicial, diplomatic, military and other rights held by the trading companies were abolished.…”

"On September 9, the troops of the Kingdom of Dashun brazenly crossed the Rejang River and invaded the territory of the Sultanate of Brunei, triggering yet another fierce armed conflict between the two countries. ..."

"Huh?" When Ji Qitang heard the news, his eyes suddenly opened, revealing a strange expression, "Shun Guo attacked Brunei, how did Qi Guo react?"

"...The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qi State requires both sides to maintain necessary restraint and not to plunge the local situation into violent turmoil and harm Qi businessmen and people traveling to the area." The maid lowered her head and quickly looked at the back of the news. Half of the news about Qi states, "In addition, in order to protect normal trade and shipping in this sea area and region, Qi's Luzon fleet dispatched four warships to Brunei waters."

"Haha..." Ji Qitang couldn't help but laugh after hearing this, "Qi State is preparing to go off the rails again! If Shun State suffers a loss, he will bring Sulu, Weiguo, Luzon and other countries to threaten him at all costs. Brunei, to build momentum for Shunguo... Is there any important news about the Qin court?"

"..." The maid who was reading the newspaper immediately looked through several newspapers on the desk, and then pulled out the "Jinling Residence Newspaper" from the Qin State, "The Empress Dowager Zhaosheng was seriously ill, and during the Qianyuan period... the pseudo-emperor ordered all the ministers Let's gather together to give the Queen Mother a posthumous title..." "Oh, the old Queen Mother of the Pseudo-Qin Dynasty is finally going to... go." Ji Qitang sat up from his bed and took the "Jinling Di Bao" from the maid's hand. , murmured: "In this case, the Puppet Qin is probably going to have a big funeral! Perhaps, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for my Ming Dynasty. Well, there are some things that need to be prepared more quickly."
-

October 10, Anding Prefecture, Fushun County (today's Kuji City, Japan).

The autumn harvest has come to an end, but hard-working farmers are still busy in the fields, preparing for the next season of farming.

The men plowed the land while it was still cold, turning over the soil deeply to loosen the soil, improve soil structure and remove weeds.

In some fields with good conditions, farmers will also sprinkle purchased wheat seeds or rapeseeds on the fields. In this way, with the rainfall and suitable temperatures after the beginning of autumn, the seeds can germinate quickly, laying the foundation for a bumper harvest in the coming year.

The women gathered the straw scattered on the fields and carried them home in bundles to make fires for warmth in winter.

Although charcoal is sold in the town, with just a few bucks, you can buy a lot of charcoal to bring endless warmth to your family in the cold winter.

However, frugal farmers are not willing to spend their "spare money" to buy charcoal for heating and cooking. In winter, there is no interest rate. With the extra money, it is better to buy more cotton cloth or sew a few thick quilts to wrap the body tightly and cope with the cold winter.

Hundreds and thousands of years have passed, but have any farmers ever spent money specifically to keep warm?

I heard from the elders in the village that as early as the feudal period (Morioka Domain), the farmers at the bottom had no money to buy cotton cloth, sew clothes, or even charcoal. They even had no money to eat every day. He could only huddle up hungrily in a thatched house with drafts on all sides, enduring the cold days. After one winter, many people will freeze to death in almost every village, especially the elderly and infants.

Later, the Ming Dynasty from the north came over, defeated the Hirosaki Domain, Hachinohe Domain, and Morioka Domain, and took the northern area of ​​Mutsu under its rule. It is said that the family heads and warriors of those vassal states were ruthlessly purged, and many people disappeared mysteriously.

In fact, in the eyes of ordinary people, there is no difference between the Ming Dynasty and the feudal lord. They still have to continue plowing the fields and doing various chores, and they also have to pay a large part of their hard-earned year's harvest to these masters.

Oh, it’s not without changes.

At the very least, the taxes levied by officials in the Ming Dynasty were much lower.

Because it was a newly conquered territory, the Ming government implemented "benevolent policies" in order to win the hearts and minds of the people here. It not only canceled various restrictions on farmers' status, lifestyle and other aspects, but also reduced the previously high annual salary. The tribute was greatly reduced, and the rent rate was all set as "five public and five people (50% of the annual harvest from farmers)" to benefit the general public.

Within a few years of becoming common people in the Ming Dynasty, many poor farmers ate rice for the first time, wore soft cotton clothes, and lived in warm mud houses. This made many people feel happy and could not help but burst into tears. They all expressed their loyalty to the "head" of the Ming Dynasty from the bottom of their hearts and vowed to defend this "vassal state" to the death.

You must know that in Japan, only feudal lords, high-ranking samurai, and village officials such as villagers can wear silk and silk. As an ordinary farmer, he can only wear black or navy blue cotton or linen without any patterns, and the sleeve length and There are also restrictions on shoulder length. When farmers tie their hair, they can't even use hair ties and can only use straw.

As for rice, only feudal lords and high-ranking warriors could eat it (but it could not be eaten every day). Farmers below middle peasants mainly ate mixed vegetable porridge - a kind of rice mixed with chopped wheat, corn, and barnyard grass. Eat dried leaves and boiled radish.

In the northern area of ​​Mutsu that was conquered by the Ming Dynasty, ordinary people's lives were even more miserable. If they could eat bran rice made from tares (which was not enough to fill them up), it would be considered a fine delicacy.

Although, the Ming government still sent many handymen to farmers to build cities and roads, dig rivers and reservoirs, and were recruited as rural soldiers during the off-farm seasons to serve in coastal ports or southern border areas.

But countless Japanese people still gave strong support and support to the Ming government, because they at least made a huge improvement in the lives of the lower class people - of course, this improvement is nothing more than making people barely have enough to eat. In the past, the vassal state's restrictions on various personal status and lifestyles were also greatly relaxed, making people no longer feel the endless despair of life before.

After more than forty years of rule, it cannot be said that all the people in the northern Mutsu region have devoted themselves to the Ming Dynasty, but the vast majority of people are still relatively satisfied with their current lives.

As early as thirteen years ago, the Ming government abolished military control in the Mutsu area and replaced it with the establishment of the Anding Prefecture, which governed Gu'an (today's Hirosaki City), Zhaohua (today's Hachinohe City), and Imjin (today's Japan). The four counties of Taiguan (the northern city) and Fushun officially annexed the area and brought it under the rule of the Ming Dynasty.

As a result, the agricultural tax policy for the more than 200,000 people in the Mutsu area, oh, and the Anding Prefecture, will also be reduced from the previous 50% to 20% like the core areas such as Yunzhou and Zhenzhou.

In addition, if you can be selected into the army, you will not only get a lot of military salary, but also get ahead, have the opportunity to gain military exploits and be promoted to a mid-to-high-level officer, and the whole family will enjoy a high political status. According to the Ming Dynasty's preferential treatment policy for military personnel, as long as you become a senior non-commissioned officer, your children can have the official selection qualification examinations that only Han people have. At the same time, you can also reduce your family's agricultural taxes by half.

"So, I want to join the army to gain fame for myself and the entire family." Tian Yuxiang knelt down in front of his parents with a look of determination on his face, "This time, His Majesty the Emperor and the military issued an edict. The order calls for five thousand new soldiers to join the army, and the number of soldiers in our Anding Mansion is one thousand, so the competition is extremely fierce. But I am confident that with my excellent physical condition and military skills, I will definitely get this place."

"Go, for your future and the glory of your family, join the army, fight on the battlefield for His Majesty the Emperor, and make our Ming Dynasty famous outside the territory." Tian Dalin said solemnly: "When Shiro has gained merit in the army, you His descendants will be very proud to bear the name of Bingwei."

As a former low-class citizen of Japan, Tian Dalin and his family would not have had a surname at all if they were still under the rule of the feudal state.

Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty conquered this land, and when it accepted the hundreds of thousands of people here as subjects under its rule, it required all people to bear their surnames and register them in a register to be included in the fish scales.

In order to make it easier for these obedient Japanese people to choose their surnames, the "Hundred Family Surnames" was also translated and allowed them to freely choose, which was to give names to official families.

In later generations, Japanese surnames all had certain origins and meanings. Among them, using the place name as the surname is a major feature. For example: some people live at the foot of a mountain, so they use "山下" or "山本" as their surname; some people live next to paddy fields, so they call them "Tianbian". Many Japanese surnames end with the word "mura", such as Nishimura, Okamura, Morimura, Kimura, etc. These surnames were originally derived from place names or village names.

In addition, there are many surnames that represent natural phenomena, aspects of social life, and ideologies. From the sun, moon and stars, to flowers, birds, fish and insects, from occupation, residence to religious beliefs, almost everything can be used as a surname. For example: Takasaki means the protruding part of the island, Oyoi means the square in front of the palace, white birds and little bears are animals; Wakamatsu and Takasugi are plants; Takahashi and Torii represent buildings; Onodera and Saionji represent religious beliefs; Hattori and Qin are the surnames of naturalized people (i.e. immigrants) who settled in Japan from Asia and even all over the world in ancient times.

For the Beiming government, which is interested in encroaching on Japanese territory to strengthen its own strength, and believes that it will dominate the mainland and dominate the Central Plains in the future, when it is difficult to obtain enough Han immigrants, the best way is to naturalize as many natives as possible in the conquered territory. The residents are the Ainu people of Yunzhou, the natives of Zhenzhou, the savages of Kuye Island, and a larger number of Japanese.

Speaking Chinese, practicing Chinese customs, using Chinese names, and at the same time trying to suppress the civilized attributes of the aborigines became the inevitable option for the Beiming government to assimilate and subjugate other ethnic groups.

Tian Dalin's father acquired a surname for the first time after the Northern Ming Dynasty invaded Mutsu. But due to being uneducated and not understanding Chinese at all, when declaring his surname, he followed the most primitive idea in his heart and took the land he cultivated as his surname.

In Japan, there are many samurai called "Bingwei" or "Left (right) Guard". This type of name originated in ancient times. Most of the people with this name were sergeants serving in various prefectures (in the eighth century AD, the emperor's court established five military agencies responsible for protecting the emperor and the palace, namely the Weimonfu, the left and right soldiers). The Wei Mansion and the Left and Right Guard Mansion, collectively known as the Five Guards Mansion), some are the direct relatives of these sergeants, and everyone respects them when they hear their names.

Recently, the Ming Dynasty Governor's Office issued a recruitment order to recruit 5,000 recruits from various territories within the territory. This allowed countless ethnic minorities who wanted to gain fame and change their own destiny to see a precious opportunity, so they signed up to participate in the selection.

Daming's blade has slowly been unsheathed.

(End of this chapter)